I had this request once from Microsoft. They supplied the question/spec to code to, and wanted to see if I could code something, I suppose. Unfortunately before the interview I realized I wasn't a good fit and backed out, so I never heard any feedback on the code I'd submitted.

IMO, don't stress and do what you normally do. The last thing you want to do is try to change styles or jump into some modules you're not at all familiar with, just because you think it'll impress someone.

One approach might be if you Imagined yourself teaching a perl course, for example, what sorts of examples would you use to demonstrate the features of the language that most appeal to you.

Also even if you can't take the code home, you should be able to capture a feel for what you've done. Then imagine yourself teaching those courses to a vendor. YOu wouldn't show them everyline of code, perhaps, but you'd probably show them the tricky parts. Write those into small subprograms that demonstrate the same principles.

Good luck!

PS> Code samples can be highly subjective to the opinions of the folks that work there. Don't take it personally if someone doesn't like your style. I've heard people criticize perl programmers, for example, for being "too clever" and at the same time, you get criticized if you're not "Perly" enough. So Again, don't go about attempting to become something you're not.